title: Aerobic biodegradation of a mixture of monosubstituted phenols in a sequencing batch reactor.
abstract: A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was inoculated with p-nitrophenol-degrading activated sludge to biodegrade a mixture of monosubstituted phenols: p-nitrophenol (PNP), PNP and o-cresol; and PNP, o-cresol and o-chlorophenol. Settling times were progressively decreased to promote biomass granulation. PNP was completely biodegraded. The PNP and o-cresol mixture was also biodegraded although some transitory accumulation of intermediates occurred (mainly hydroquinone and catechol). o-Chlorophenol was not biodegraded and resulted in inhibition of o-cresol and PNP biodegradation and complete failure of the SBR within a few days. The biomass had very good settling properties when a settling time of 1 min was applied: sludge volume index (SVI₅) below 50 mL g(-1), SVI₅/SVI₃₀ ratio of 1 and average particle size of 200 μm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: María Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Suárez-Ojeda
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrera
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000378:metabolism; D000332:Aerobiosis; D001173:Arthrobacter / Q000378:metabolism; D061249:Batch Cell Culture Techniques; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D002396:Catechols / Q000737:chemistry; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000737:chemistry*; D003408:Cresols / Q000737:chemistry*; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000737:chemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000378:metabolism; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002396:Catechols; D002733:Chlorophenols; D003408:Cresols; D006873:Hydroquinones; D009596:Nitrophenols; D012722:Sewage; C030683:2-chlorophenol; C034221:catechol; C031927:hydroquinone; C024836:4-nitrophenol; C034047:2-cresol
keywords: Aerobic biodegradation; Sequencing batch reactor; o-Chlorophenol; o-Cresol; p-Nitrophenol